Comments on: The Films Of Ridley Scott: A Retrospective

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

What a repellent, spiteful little article. Clearly the author knows very little about film.

By: Chris138

Chris138 — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

I agree that Hannibal is his worst movie, although I don't think I'd give it an 'F'. Probably more like a 'C'. And I also agree that Gladiator, which I like, didn't deserve to take home Best Picture that year. It is indeed a bit baffling in retrospect.

In my opinion, his best movies are Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise and Black Hawk Down. I even liked Prometheus a lot. I agree that Black Hawk Down has some questionable "shoot 'em up politics" and remains, for the most part, curiously uninterested in the Somali perspective, but it's so well made that I have to include it in his best. I also thought that one of the film's strengths was how easily I was able to follow what was going on, considering there was so much going on during that operation. I also think it has the greatest combat scenes ever filmed. Is it the best war movie ever made? Certainly not, but it works very well as a 'you are there' experience.

And as for his most underrated I'd have to go with Body of Lies. I was surprised how much I enjoyed that movie after hearing such average things about it and being unimpressed with any of the promotional material.

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

Fuck you Hannibal was a great movie

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

I'd definitely agree with you about his late 80's/mid 90's slogs, but I guess I'm one of the few defenders of him in the past 12 years. For the most part. Black Hawk Down definitely has more soul to it than you give it credit for, to me anyway. Matchstick Men is one of the more underrated flicks of the past 10 years, and Kingdom of Heaven is one of my favorite films of all time in terms of style, storytelling and ambition, there's far more to it than the surface suggests. American Gangster is a frustrating one, because there's a lot of good about it, but it definitely needed a tighter script. A Good Year is slight, but a change of pace anyway, not great by any stretch, but more of a rainy day rental than the out and out disaster it was painted as. Robin Hood's another case of a lot of good, and muddle, it was a cool concept but there's too many moving parts for there to be weight on many of the characters & audiences just didn't seem to take to them making a 'grounded' prequel to the fanciful tale we're all useful. That project's whole development was odd though.

By: Olli

Olli — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

Hm, I mostly disagree with your ratings but thatÂ´s ok. Everyone has itÂ´s own likings.
To me â1492â was a big boring mess even ScottÂ´s visual flair could not rescue (F).
Gladiator is still a near perfect epic which never fails to have me fully captivated (A).
Hannibal is kind of a guilty pleasure to me. Yes itÂ´s clearly over the top but still highly entertaining in all itÂ´s clinical coolness and gross out moments. (B-)
Black Hawk Down is the prototype of a modern war movie. This felt nearly like a 3D movie without even having 3D. Watching this one on a big screen felt like being up there with the guys. There are very few films I felt as involved in as this one. At one point youÂ´re right. Amidst all hell breaking loose in Somalia, the soldiers donÂ´t know where they are and neither does the audience. (A)
Kingdom of heaven (Directors Cut) is another wonderful sprawling epic. In this version the political intrigues make this film also very interesting and even the much maligned Orlando Bloom comes off a lot better than in the theatrical cut. (DC: A-) (Theatrical cut: C+)
Robin Hood is a strange one but still pretty entertaining and well acted. The biggest problem may be itÂ´s title because this film just isnÂ´t Robin Hood. It should have called Sherwood or something like that and the general expectations may have been different. (B-)

By: Olli

Olli — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

Regarding âLegendâ you wrote that âthe picture does get a lot of things rightâ and then you mention the score by Tangerine Dream? Well, that score almost ruined the whole movie. Do yourself a favor and watch the US-Version with the TD-score and then compare it to the international version, which was released with the original (studio rejected) score composed by Jerry Goldsmith. ThatÂ´s a whole different experienceâ¦and then tell me again that the TD-score was one of the things the film got right.

By: Stevo the Magnificent

Stevo the Magnificent — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

Boy, someone got out of bed on the wrong side this morning, was that a retrospective or a crucifixion? 'Kingdom of Heaven' (Director's Cut) is a tremendous and accomplished piece of epic film-making, '1492…' is a flawed but totally worthy movie, and 'Hannibal' is basically an onscreen opera, although he probably should have passed on that and directed 'Red Dragon' instead, now THAT would have been interesting…

By: Carson Wells

Carson Wells — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

I thought American Gangster was better than a C, I'm not sure why so many people dislike it so much. I'd easily give it a B. Also, the thought of those characters being in a courtroom drama instead in no way sounds more appealing. That sounds pedestrian and is no doubt the reason why that version of the film wasn't made.

By: Christopher Bell

Christopher Bell — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

Jesus christ, a lot of Ridley Scott bullies, huh? "idiots"? "watch them again in 10 years"? And you guys mean this earnestly?

By: ?

Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

A D+ for 'Black Hawk Down'? The hell?

Otherwise, most of these are spot on. Though I would say 'Robin Hood' is his worst film by far & 'Hannibal' is a good for hire film. Actually Scott greatly improved the movie off the rather horrid novel. I like 'Kingdom of Heaven' more than you guys did but the real shame with that project is if Scott had been allowed to cast who he wanted for the lead the film would have been greatly improved.

Only film of his I haven't seen is 1492. Need to get around to that sometime.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

1492, Robin Hood and Kingdom of Heaven are all excellent films. The reviewers should watch them again in 10 years when they've grown up a bit.

By: georgina

georgina — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

I love his The Duellists, and am sure that with years it's getting better like wine. Prometheus is really stunning visually but absolutely clumsy from storytelling point of view. I'd call it far-fetched.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

Scott's inconsistency is perplexing and frustrating but a D+ for Black Hawk Down? Pretty harsh if you ask me, especially considering you gave a better grade to A Good Year. Your review of Prometheus worried me somewhat but I'm not giving it much thought after this article.

By: Tony Scott

Tony Scott — Fri, 13 May 2016 12:18:46 +0000

This retrospective just goes to prove what I've always felt. Ridley is a half-there filmmaker, able to bring only half of what makes a movie good to practically each and every project he's ever done (Blade Runner included).